Effects of mycorrhiza and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria inoculants on rice crops in Northern India

Mutualistic root microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can ameliorate plant nutrition through an extended extra-radical hyphal network and by nutrient mobilisation. Running under the Indo-Swiss Collaboration in Biotechnology (ISCB), our project focuses on the integration of AMF and PGPR as biofertilisers in wheat-rice and wheat-black gram systems

Text mining of Post Project Reviews

Post Project Reviews (PPR) are a rich source of knowledge and information for organisations - if they have the time and resources to analyse them. Too often such reports are stored, unread by many who can benefit from them. PPRs attempt to document the project experience – both good and bad. If these reports were analysed collectively, they may expose important detail, perhaps repeated between projects. However, because most companies do not have the resources to examine these PPR, either individually or collectively, important insights are missed thereby leading to a missed opportunity to learn from previous projects. Hidden knowledge and experiences can be captured by using knowledge discovery and text mining to uncover patterns, associations, and trends in data. The results might then be used to enhance processes, improve customer relationships, and identify specific problem areas to address. This paper outlines an ongoing research project that investigates the use of knowledge discovery and text mining on Post Project Reviews. An illustrative example will be presented using case studies from the construction sector. The PPR processes of two construction companies were mapped with the aim of understanding the context, format, terminologies used and key knowledge areas suitable for text mining. The textual examination of the PPR reports was complemented by semi-structured interviews and workshops to understand the production and content of the reports. Preliminary results highlight that although organisations have publicised, standard processes for PPR, there is a variance in how these are conducted and produced on a regional basis. These variances provide a number of challenges for organisations from a corporate perspective. Also, there is an over-reliance on key individuals with little attempt to make some of their knowledge more explicit and therefore easier to disseminate between project team members. This paper summarises the challenges in identifying the type of knowledge to be text mined, the format of PPR reports and the process of conducting PPR. It will also highlights the development of suitable ontologies for text mining PPR reports and provides recommendations on how to improve the PPR process of companies

Long-term moderate calorie restriction inhibits inflammation without impairing cell-mediated immunity: A randomized controlled trial in non-obese humans

Calorie restriction (CR) inhibits inflammation and slows aging in many animal species, but in rodents housed in pathogen-free facilities, CR impairs immunity against certain pathogens. However, little is known about the effects of long-term moderate CR on immune function in humans. In this multi-center, randomized clinical trial to determine CR's effect on inflammation and cell-mediated immunity, 218 healthy non-obese adults (20-50 y), were assigned 25% CR (n=143) or an ad-libitum (AL) diet (n=75), and outcomes tested at baseline, 12, and 24 months of CR. CR induced a 10.4% weight loss over the 2-y period. Relative to AL group, CR reduced circulating inflammatory markers, including total WBC and lymphocyte counts, ICAM-1 and leptin. Serum CRP and TNF-α concentrations were about 40% and 50% lower in CR group, respectively. CR had no effect on the delayed-type hypersensitivity skin response or antibody response to vaccines, nor did it cause difference in clinically significant infections. In conclusion, long-term moderate CR without malnutrition induces a significant and persistent inhibition of inflammation without impairing key in vivo indicators of cell-mediated immunity. Given the established role of these pro-inflammatory molecules in the pathogenesis of multiple chronic diseases, these CR-induced adaptations suggest a shift toward a healthy phenotype

Variability of the Spectral Energy Distribution of the Blazar S5 0716+714

The emission from blazars is known to be variable at all wavelengths. The flux variability is often accompanied by spectral changes. Spectral energy distribution (SED) changes must be associated with changes in the spectra of emitting electrons and/or the physical parameters of the jet. Meaningful modeling of blazar broadband spectra is required to understand the extreme conditions within the emission region. Not only is the broadband SED crucial, but also information about its variability is needed to understand how the highest states of emission occur and how they differ from the low states. This may help in discriminating between models. Here we present the results of our SED modeling of the blazar S5 0716+714 during various phases of its activity. The SEDs are classified into different bins depending on the optical brightness state of the source.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, contributed talk presented at the conference Multifrequency Variability of Blazars, Guangzhou, China, September 22-24, 2010. To appear in Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy (JAA

Genosenor Technology Development

Contains table of contents for Part IV, table of contents for Section 1, and reports on two research projects.Genometrix, Inc. Contract GMX-GH00776-04Defense Advanced Research Projects AgencyU.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Researc

Periodic Oscillations in the Intra-day Optical Light Curves of the Blazar S5 0716+714

We present results of a periodicity search of 20 intra-day variable optical light curves of the blazar S5 0716+714, selected from a database of 102 light curves spanning over three years. We use a wavelet analysis technique along with a randomization test and find strong candidates for nearly periodic variations in eight light curves, with probabilities ranging from 95% to >99%. This is the first good evidence for periodic, or more-precisely, quasi-periodic, components in the optical intra-day variable light curves of any blazar. Such periodic flux changes support the idea that some active galactic nuclei variability, even in blazars, is based on accretion disk fluctuations or oscillations. These intra-day variability time scales are used to estimate that the central black hole of the blazar S5 0716+714 has a mass > 2.5 \times 10^6$M$_{\odot}$. As we did not find any correlations between the flux levels and intra-day variability time scales, it appears that more than one emission mechanism is at work in this blazar.Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, 1 table; Accepted for publication in Ap

Novel epigenetic network biomarkers for early detection of esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND: Early detection of esophageal cancer is critical to improve survival. Whilst studies have identified biomarkers, their interpretation and validity is often confounded by cell-type heterogeneity. RESULTS: Here we applied systems-epigenomic and cell-type deconvolution algorithms to a discovery set encompassing RNA-Seq and DNA methylation data from esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) patients and matched normal-adjacent tissue, in order to identify robust biomarkers, free from the confounding effect posed by cell-type heterogeneity. We identify 12 gene-modules that are epigenetically deregulated in EAC, and are able to validate all 12 modules in 4 independent EAC cohorts. We demonstrate that the epigenetic deregulation is present in the epithelial compartment of EAC-tissue. Using single-cell RNA-Seq data we show that one of these modules, a proto-cadherin module centered around CTNND2, is inactivated in Barrett's Esophagus, a precursor lesion to EAC. By measuring DNA methylation in saliva from EAC cases and controls, we identify a chemokine module centered around CCL20, whose methylation patterns in saliva correlate with EAC status. CONCLUSIONS: Given our observations that a CCL20 chemokine network is overactivated in EAC tissue and saliva from EAC patients, and that in independent studies CCL20 has been found to be overactivated in EAC tissue infected with the bacterium F. nucleatum, a bacterium that normally inhabits the oral cavity, our results highlight the possibility of using DNAm measurements in saliva as a proxy for changes occurring in the esophageal epithelium. Both the CTNND2/CCL20 modules represent novel promising network biomarkers for EAC that merit further investigation